I have received marae based training in toi whatu, raranga and whiri (traditional Maori weaving) and have tried to bring my own art to this, to represent traditional Maori weaving in a contempory manner.
The materials I work with are taonga o Papatuanuku (gifts from the Earth) that are either found or given and each feather, stone, shell or leaf brings its own unique beauty and energy.
My art involves bringing these individual taonga together to create a new whole.
The feathers I use are natural and are not dyed or coloured in any way.
Inspired by fashion designers fabric swatches and architectural shapes, this series of work explore texture and colour while maintaining the feel of traditional weaving. I like to think of a cloak designer showing samples or fabric swatches of potential cloaks to a customer.
The works have been framed starkly to allow the beauty of the feathers to be the sole focus.
